Chapter L: M. M. R

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Queries.

"MERK LANDS" AND "URES."--NORWEGIAN ANTIQUITIES.

In Shetland, at the present day, all public assessments are levied, and divisions made, according to the number of merk lands in a parish. All arable lands were anciently, under the Norwegian law, rated as _merks_,--a merk containing eight _ures_. These merks are quite indefinite as to extent. It is, indeed, clear that the ancient denomination of _merk land_ had not reference to superficial extent of surface, but was a denomination of value alone, in which was included the proportion of the surrounding commonty or _scattald_. Merk lands are of different values, as sixpenny, ninepenny, twelvepenny,--a twelvepenny merk having, formerly at least, been considered equal to two sixpenny merks; and in some old deeds lands are described as thirty merks sixpenny, otherwise fifteen merks twelvepenny land. All assessments have, however, for a very long period, been levied and all privileges apportioned, according to merks, without relation to whether they were sixpenny or twelvepenny. The ancient rentals of Shetland contain about fourteen thousand merks of land; and it will be noticed that, however much the ancient inclosed land be increased by additional improvements, the number of merks ought to be, and are, stationary. The valued rent, divided according the merk lands, would make a merk land in Shetland equal to 2l. Scots of valued rent. There are only one or two places of Scotland proper where merks are in use,--Stirling and Dunfermline, I think. As these two places were the occasional residences of our ancient Scottish kings, it is possible this plan of estimating land may have obtained there, to equalise and make better understood some arrangements relating to land entered into between the kings of Norway and Scotland. Possibly some of the correspondents of "N. & Q." in the north may be able to throw some light on this subject. It was stated some time ago that Dr. Munch, Professor in the University of Christiana, had presented to the Society of Northern Archaeology, in {619} Copenhagen, a very curious manuscript which he had discovered and purchased during a voyage to the Orkneys and Shetland in 1850. The manuscript is said to be in good preservation, and the form of the characters assigns the tenth, or perhaps the ninth century as its date. It is said to contain, in the Latin tongue, several episodes of Norwegian history, relating to important facts hitherto unknown, and which throw much light on feudal tenures, holdings, superstitions, omens, &c., which have been handed down to our day, with their origin involved in obscurity, and on the darkness of the centuries that preceded the introduction of Christianity into Norway. Has this manuscript ever been printed?

KIRKWALLENSIS.

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THE LEIGH PEERAGE, AND STONELEY ESTATES, WARWICKSHIRE.

The fifth Lord Leigh left his estates to his sister, the Hon. Mary Leigh, for her life, and at her decease without issue to "the first and nearest of his kindred, being male, and of his name and blood," &c. On the death of Mrs. Mary Leigh in 1806, the estates were taken possession of by her very distant kinsman, the Rev. Thomas Leigh. The first person to dispute his right to them was Mr. George Smith Leigh, who claimed them as being descended from a _daughter_ of Sir Thomas Leigh, son of the first Baron Leigh. His claim was not allowed, because he had the name of Leigh only _by royal license, and not by inheritance_. Subsequently, the Barony of Leigh was claimed by another Mr. George Leigh, of Lancashire, as descended from a son of the Hon. Christopher Leigh (fourth son of the aforesaid Sir Thomas Leigh), by his second wife. His claim was disallowed when heard by a committee of the House of Lords in 1828, because he could not prove the second marriage of Christopher Leigh, nor the birth of any son by such marriage.

Being about to print a genealogy of the Leigh family, I should be under an obligation to any one who will, without delay furnish me with--

1st. The descent, with dates, of the aforesaid Mr. George _Smith_ Leigh from Sir Thomas Leigh.

2nd. The wife, and descendants to the present time, of the aforesaid Mr. George Leigh.

In return for this information I shall be happy to send my informant a copy of the genealogy when it is printed. I give you my name and address.

J. M. G.

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Minor Queries.

_Phillips Family._--Is there a family of Phillips now bearing the ancient arms of William Phillips, Lord Bardolph: viz. Quarterly, gu. and az., in the chief dexter quarter an eagle displayed or.

H. G. S.

_Engine-a-verge._--What is the _engine-a-verge_, mentioned by P. Daniel in his _Hist. de la Milice Franc._, and what the origin of the name?

CAPE.

_Garrick's Funeral Epigram._--Who is the author of these verses?

"Through weeping London's crowded streets,
As Garrick's funeral pass'd,
Contending wits and poets strove
Which should desert him last.

"Not so this world behaved to Him
Who came this world to save;
By solitary Joseph borne
Unheeded to the grave."

K. N.

_The Rosicrucians._--I should be extremely glad of a little information respecting "the Brethren of the Rosy Cross." Was there ever a regular fraternity of philosophers bearing this appellation; or was it given merely as a title to all students in alchemy?

I should wish to obtain a list of works which might contain a record of their studies and discoveries. I subjoin the few in my own library, which I imagine to belong to this class.

Albertus Magnus de Animalibus, libr. xxvi. fol. Venet. 1495.

Albertus Magnus de Secretis Mulierum, de Virtutibus Herbarum, Lapidum
at Animalium.

Albertus Magnus de Miribilibus Mundi, item.

Michael Scotus de Secretis Naturae, 12mo., Lugd. 1584.

Henr. Corn. Agrippa on the Vanitie of Sciences, 4to., London, 1575.

Joann. Baptist. Van Helmont, Opera Omnina, 4to., Francofurti, 1682.

Dr. Charleton, Ternary of Paradoxes, London, 1650.

Perhaps some of your correspondents will kindly furnish me with notices of other works by these writers, and by others who have written on similar subjects, as Paracelsus, &c.

E. S. TAYLOR.

_Passage in Schiller._--In the _Memoirs of a Stomach_, lately published, the editor asks a question of you: "Is it Schiller who says, 'The metaphysical part of love commences with the first sigh, and terminates with the first kiss'?" I pray you look to the merry and witty and learned little book, and respond to his Query.

AMICUS.

_Sir John Vanbrugh._--This eminent architect and poet of the last century is stated by his biographers to have been "born in Cheshire." Can anybody furnish me with the place and date of his birth?

T. HUGHES.

Chester.

_Historical Engraving._--I have an ancient engraving, size 143/4 in. wide and 113/4 in. high, without title or engraver's name, which I should be {620} glad to authenticate. It appears to represent Charles II. at the Hague in 1660.

The foreground is occupied by groups of figures in the costume of the period. In the distance is seen a street in perspective, down which the royal carriage is proceeding, drawn by six horses. On one side is a row of horses, on the other an avenue of trees. To the right of this is a canal, on the bank of which a battery of seven guns is firing a salute. The opposite bank is occupied by public buildings.

In the air a figure of Fame holds a shield charged with the royal arms of England, surrounded by a garter, without the motto. Five cherubs in various positions are dispersed around, holding respectively a globe, a laurel crown, palm branches, &c., and a crowned shield bearing a lion rampant, and a second with a stork, whose beak holds a serpent.

A portion of the zodiacal circle, containing Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius, marks, I suppose, the month in which the event took place.

E. S. TAYLOR.

_Hall-close, Silverstone, Northamptonshire._--Adjoining the church-yard is a greensward field called "Hall-close," which is more likely to be the site of the mansion visited by the early kings of England, when hunting in Whittlebury Forest, than the one mentioned by Bridles in his History of the county. About 1798, whilst digging here, a fire-place containing ashes was discovered; also many large wrought freestones.

The well, close by, still retains the name of Hall-well; and there are other things in the immediate vicinity which favour the supposition; but can an extract from an old MS., as a will, deed, indenture, &c., be supplied to confirm it?

H. T. WAKE.

Stepney.

_Junius's Letters to Wilkes._--Where are the original letters addressed by Junius to Mr. Wilkes? The editor of the _Grenville Papers_ says, "It is uncertain in whose custody the letters now remain, many unsuccessful attempts having been _recently_ made to ascertain the place of their deposit."

D. G.

_The Reformer's Elm._--What was the origin of the name of "The Reformer's Elm?" Where and what was it?